Tree, Tree, Tree, I Love You

When I was younger, I watched Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood quite a bit. I loved the puppets, and the kid-friendly crafts, and the way Mr. Rogers talked so softly at the screen – like he was talking just to me.

Now as an adult, I appreciate what Mr. Rogers did more than ever. I had my daughter watch quite a bit of the series when it was available to stream for free on Amazon (though I’m not sure if it’s still available for free there anymore).

“Tree, Tree, Tree,” was one of the repeating songs on the show. I loved how simple and easy to remember the song was. And this last week, I’ve had the song stuck in my head, so I thought I’d draw a little tree on my iPad.

A Few Crafts for You to Try

I know this tree might not look like much. After all, it doesn’t have any color or any leaves or shading or any of the typical details I’d put into a drawing. However, that’s also the best thing about this picture. It’s up to you and your child to finish it!

You can download the tree for free and print it at home via:

• Tree JPG
• Tree PDF

Once you have it printed, you could do a few different crafts with it. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Use finger paints and your child’s fingerprints to create leaves in any color
• Glue popcorn to the branches to look like spring blossoms
• Glue jelly beans to the tree to look like leaves
• Tear colored construction paper into small pieces and glue them to the tree
• Go out in nature and collect leaves with your child to glue to the tree
• Have fun with buttons! Glue green, red, or yellow buttons to make unique leaves

If you have access to marker daubers/dotters, your child can paint the leaves themselves.

Do You Have More Ideas?

These are just a few ways you can decorate this little tree, but don’t feel obligated to stick to them. If you and your kid feel creative, go nuts with it! Just remember to share your ideas and suggestions in the comment section below. You might inspire someone else to make a fun project, too, just like Mr. Rogers and his “Tree, Tree, Tree” song.